There were two spacious open barouches and one large wagon.
“My lord ordered me, sir, if the weather should be fine, to bring the barouches for the ladies, as they would be so much pleasanter,” the man explained, touching his hat, as he held the door of the first carriage open for Mrs. Force.
The travelers were soon seated—Mr. and Mrs. Force, Wynnette and Elva in the first barouche, Le, Odalite and Rosemary in the second, and the two servants, with the dog and the luggage, in the wagon.
“Oh, how jolly!” exclaimed Wynnette, looking about her.
By this time it was light enough to see their surroundings—the hoary cliffs and the picturesque fishing village on their right; the far-spread rocky beach, with the fishing boats drawn up, on their left; the expanse of ocean beyond, dotted at long distances with sails; and right near them the only street of the hamlet that ran from the beach up through a natural cleft in the rocks, and looked something like a rude, broad staircase of flagstones, which were paved on edge to afford a hold to horses’ feet in climbing up the steep ascent.
By this time, too, the denizens of the village were out before their doors to stare at the unusual sight of three carriages and a large party of visitors for Enderby Castle.
For, of course, as his lordship’s carriages and liveried servants were there to meet the party of travelers, they must be visitors to the castle.
The men took off their hats and the women courtesied as the open carriages passed slowly up the steep street to the top of the cliff, where it joined the road leading northward along the sea toward Enderby Castle.
Now the travelers in the open carriages had a grand view of land and water.
On the east, moorland rolling into hills in the mid distance and rising into mountains on the far horizon. The newly risen sun shining above them and tinting all their tops with the soft and varied hues of the opal stone. Here and there at long distances could be seen the ruined tower of some ancient stronghold, or the roof and chimneys of some old farmstead. Everything looked old or ancient on this wild coast of Cumberland.
On the west the ocean rolled out until lost to view in the mists of the horizon.
Before them northward the road stretched for many a mile.
Far ahead they saw a mighty promontory stretching out to sea. At its base the waves dashed, leaped, roared, tumbled like raging wild beasts clawing at the rocks. On the extreme edge of its point arose a mass of gray stone buildings scarcely to be distinguished from the foundation on which they were built.
“How far is it to Enderby Castle?” inquired Mr. Force of the coachman who drove his carriage.
“Ten miles from the station, sir,” replied the man, touching his hat.
“That is the castle,” said Mrs. Force, pointing to the pile of buildings on the edge of the promontory, and handing the field glass with which she had been taking a view of her birthplace and first home.
“That! It is a fine, commanding situation, but it scarcely looks to be more than five miles from here.”
“It is not, if we could take a bee line over land and sea, but the road has to follow the bend of the estuary,” replied the lady.
All the occupants of both carriages, which had come to a standstill, were now on their feet gazing at that hoary headland, capped with its ancient stronghold.
The field glass was passed from one to another, while the carriages paused long enough for all to take a view.
“So that was the home of my grandparents and of our forefathers for—how long, dear mamma?” inquired Odalite.
“Eight centuries, my dear. The round tower that you see is the oldest part of the edifice, and was built by Kedrik of Enderbee in the year 950.”
“Lord, what a fine time the rats, mice, bats, owls, rooks and ghosts must have in it!” remarked Wynnette.
“It is like a picture in a Christmas ghost story,” said Elva.
“It seems like Aunt Sukey was reading it all to me out of a novel by the evening fire at Grove Hill,” mused Rosemary.
“Go on,” said Mr. Force.
And the carriages started again.
The road, still running along the top of the cliff, turned gradually more and more to the left until its course verged from the north to the northwest, and then to the west, as it entered upon the long, high point of land upon which stood the castle. The road now began to ascend another steep, paved with stones on edge to make a hold for the horses’ feet in climbing, and at length entered a sort of alley between huge stone walls that rose higher and higher on either side as the road ascended, until it reached a heavy gateway flanked with towers, between which, and over the gateway, hung the spiked and rusting iron portcullis, looking as if it were ready, at the touch of a spring, to fall and impale any audacious intruder who might pass beneath it. But it was fast rusted into its place, where it had been stationary for ages.
“I wonder who was the last warder that raised this portcullis?” mused Wynnette.
“I cannot tell you, my dear. It has not been moved in the memory of man,” replied Mrs. Force.
“I see ghosts again!” exclaimed Wynnette—“men-at-arms on yonder battlements! Knights, squires and pursuivants in the courtyard here! Oh, what a haunted hole is this!”
They entered a quadrangular courtyard paved with flagstones, inclosed by stone buildings, and having at each of the four corners a strong tower.
The front building, through which they had passed by the ascending road, was the most ancient part of the castle and faced the sea. But in the rear of that was the more recent structure, used as the dwelling of the earl and his household. This modern building also faced the sea, on the other side, but it could not be approached from the cliff road except through the front. These buildings were not used at all. They were given over to the denizens objected to by Wynnette—to rats, mice, bats, owls and rooks, and—perhaps ghosts.
On either side the buildings were used as quarters for the servants and offices for the household.
They drove through the courtyard, under an archway in the wall of the modern building, and out to the front entrance, facing the open sea.
Many steps led from the pavement up to the massive oaken doors, flanked by huge pillars of stone, that gave admittance to the building.
The coachman left his box, went up these stairs and knocked.
The double doors swung open.
Mr. Force alighted and handed out his wife and two elder daughters, while Le performed the same service for Elva and Rosemary, and the party walked up the stairs to the open door.
A footman in the gray livery of Enderby bowed them in.